What did you give up to go to a Carib Med School?

[helpfuldoc2b]

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What School did you chose and why?
Age of matriculation?
Job/Salary you gave up for med school?
Kids/married or single?
Experience thusfar if already in med school?
And would you do it over, if not what would you have done differently.


Thanks for your input everyone!

 

[liripez]

what a stupid post. what's the point?

 

[Vermian]

Disagree about this being a stupid post. I was running around asking people the same types of questions when I was looking at going to the Caribbean for medical school. Anything anyone told me was helpful at that time. Perhaps that is the OPs intent. Therefore...

AUC - because everyone I asked who had attended said they would attend there again if they had it to do all over again.

28

Chemist for a R&D pharmaceutical firm - $29K

Single (w/ significant other) - no kids

Good overall experience - stressed at times - graduated 2002

Considering I spent 5 years applying to US schools - I think I would have gone sooner. I would be done with residency now if I had.

 

[liripez]

what a stupid post. what's the point?

I apologize. I read the question wrong. I though it said why instead of what.

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

I apologize. I read the question wrong. I though it said why instead of what.

Understandable, I didnt say why, ofcourse to be a physician and the Carib is a very viable way of obtaining the dream. We all become EXTREMELY uncertain going into the uncertain with extreme debt not being able to visit every school as US med applicants do. So Thank you for the AUC med student for responding as well. That is the type of information I was looking for an I know you understand, seems like you were in the same situation once.

Let me add another question or two:

How did you exactly finance all your med education, private loans, co-signer? cash(grrrrr for you lucky ones).

Is the carib school you chose what you expected facilitywise, and studentwise, studywise, etc...

Thanks all!

 

[AngryBaby]

What School did you chose and why?
Age of matriculation?
Job/Salary you gave up for med school?
Kids/married or single?
Experience thusfar if already in med school?
And would you do it over, if not what would you have done differently.


Thanks for your input everyone!

-SGU because when I started researching Carib schools (thought I was going to apply to Ross) it became apparent that, for me, SGU was far and away the best option.

-29

-Restaurant mgmnt (30k/yr)

-Married/1 child (3yrs old at matriculation)

-So far, so good. The quality of the profs has, so far (only in 2nd term) been better than I anticipated and going in I was expecting a solid education. GND is also much better than we expected. We live off campus and people have been friendly, no crime issues where we live, not nearly as 3rd world as we were led to believe.

-Given that I was waitlisted again and was nearing the end of my 3rd application cycle I have so far been glad I came. With a wife/son I needed to get going or move on to something else. I'll likely be entering primary care and maybe with an eye towards a fellowship a few years after so I'm happy so far. Of course living so far away from family and home isn't ideal, but we haven't had a major problem with it. I mean, I was ready to move to Norfolk for med school...

-yeah, to do something over I would've wanted to practice medicine when I was an undergrad 10 years ago. Would've made things much easier.

 

[Vermian]

Financial aid that was a combination of Federal and private loans (kept the private loans as minimal as possible)

It really was all that I expected, as I did about a year and a half of research (reading, talking to students, talking to residents from the "big 4") before heading out. One surprise is how you have to learn everything and not focused for the Step exams. This is great during residency (as you know some stuff others don't), but it sucked when trying to figure out how to approach the Step exams.

Now that I am almost done with residency (neurosurgery) - never been happier about my decision.

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

Financial aid that was a combination of Federal and private loans (kept the private loans as minimal as possible)

It really was all that I expected, as I did about a year and a half of research (reading, talking to students, talking to residents from the "big 4") before heading out. One surprise is how you have to learn everything and not focused for the Step exams. This is great during residency (as you know some stuff others don't), but it sucked when trying to figure out how to approach the Step exams.

Now that I am almost done with residency (neurosurgery) - never been happier about my decision.

Wow how inspirational, you went from an R&D somewhat dead end job i assume at 28 into a neurosurgeon, you must be extremely bright, yikes... I know its a dumb question but why didnt someone as smart as you start before.
Kudos to the resturant manager who is going to be a doc too, great stories...

 

[jeesapeesa]

What School did you chose and why?
Age of matriculation?
Job/Salary you gave up for med school?
Kids/married or single?
Experience thusfar if already in med school?
And would you do it over, if not what would you have done differently.


Thanks for your input everyone!

-Ross. 16 mos on the rock.

-27/28 if i choose to defer.

-Respiratory Therapist (60K)

-In a relationship I would be leaving behind which f*ckin sucks

-I don't know if I would do it again; time will tell.

 

[Sohcahtoa]

-SGU because when I started researching Carib schools (thought I was going to apply to Ross) it became apparent that, for me, SGU was far and away the best option.

-29

-Restaurant mgmnt (30k/yr)

-Married/1 child (3yrs old at matriculation)

-So far, so good. The quality of the profs has, so far (only in 2nd term) been better than I anticipated and going in I was expecting a solid education. GND is also much better than we expected. We live off campus and people have been friendly, no crime issues where we live, not nearly as 3rd world as we were led to believe.

-Given that I was waitlisted again and was nearing the end of my 3rd application cycle I have so far been glad I came. With a wife/son I needed to get going or move on to something else. I'll likely be entering primary care and maybe with an eye towards a fellowship a few years after so I'm happy so far. Of course living so far away from family and home isn't ideal, but we haven't had a major problem with it. I mean, I was ready to move to Norfolk for med school...

-yeah, to do something over I would've wanted to practice medicine when I was an undergrad 10 years ago. Would've made things much easier.

i have a few questions about what it's like to be married and in the carib...

did you bring your SO to grenada?
if so, what does your SO do to pass the time (work, volunteer, etc)?

thanks!

 

[oldpro]

RN at the time
41
3 children
Wife
60k a year
wanted more then to just follow orders

wanted to work in rural setting and still make some $ and have more say on care "The whole Package"

 

[simhapappi]

Working in Public Health, but not really giving that up for medical school. Started at med school in Toledo, OH right after undergrad, but was younger and had a total crash and burn burnout experience. But I have had a lot of clinical experience (phlebotomist and clinical research coordinator) and got my MPH as well. I'm going to be starting up at Ross in May.

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

Working in Public Health, but not really giving that up for medical school. Started at med school in Toledo, OH right after undergrad, but was younger and had a total crash and burn burnout experience. But I have had a lot of clinical experience (phlebotomist and clinical research coordinator) and got my MPH as well. I'm going to be starting up at Ross in May.

So u dropped out of a US med school, then went to a masters program, then back to the carib? Can you elaborate more on your case please...

 

[AngryBaby]

i have a few questions about what it's like to be married and in the carib...

did you bring your SO to grenada?
if so, what does your SO do to pass the time (work, volunteer, etc)?

thanks!

Well my wife is finishing her college degree online. She dropped out before we met, and with me going back to school and her getting pregnant right after she hasn't had any time to go back. So being in GND with no way to get a job she decided to finally go back. She's getting her associate's degree now and will transfer when we get back to the states full-time in 18 months.

Jobs are virtually impossible to come by here; literally only a handful available and those are from SGU. Here's a website for you to check out

http://soorgsgu.googlepages.com/

it's the Significant Others Organization (SO Group) and they do biweekly get-togethers and field trips, etc during the year. My wife doesn't have much to do with them but many do. Obviously it's both women and men (boy-/girlfriends and wives/husbands).

Hope that helps a little. Let me know if you've got any other questions.

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

Well my wife is finishing her college degree online. She dropped out before we met, and with me going back to school and her getting pregnant right after she hasn't had any time to go back. So being in GND with no way to get a job she decided to finally go back. She's getting her associate's degree now and will transfer when we get back to the states full-time in 18 months.

Jobs are virtually impossible to come by here; literally only a handful available and those are from SGU. Here's a website for you to check out

http://soorgsgu.googlepages.com/

it's the Significant Others Organization (SO Group) and they do biweekly get-togethers and field trips, etc during the year. My wife doesn't have much to do with them but many do. Obviously it's both women and men (boy-/girlfriends and wives/husbands).

Hope that helps a little. Let me know if you've got any other questions.

Curious, how do you fund the expenses of you and your wife together with no income? Is this all done by loans, if so i am scared to ask you how much loans you take out